Titus 1:9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. Why must elders encourage sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it? Because false teaching the gospel—destroying God’s people. (10-11) Titus 1:10-11 For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. 11 They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach —and that for the sake of dishonest gain Because false teaching turns people from the . (12-14) Titus 1:12-14 Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. Because false teaching cannot hearts or lives. (15-16) Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. Mark 7:18, 20-23 “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person. Titus 1:16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. Application: Beware of any teaching that diminishes the of Christ and convinces you that you can somehow make yourself more to God. Make your church home one where God’s is opened, explained, and applied. Trust that Christ is truly sufficient to your life.